ST. LOUIS, Mo. – In a battle of the top two teams in the UAA, the No. 14 Washington University in St. Louis baseball team dropped a ninth-inning heartbreaker to Emory on Friday afternoon, 4-3, at Kelly Field at Irv Utz Stadium.
The Bears got on the board first in the bottom of the opening frame. First-year
Chance Cromer led off with a single before sophomore
Ryan Soong had a one-out walk. Sophomore
Cooper Greene then hit a single to center on the second pitch he saw. Not to be outdone, first-year
Jacob Witte hit an infield single to the shortstop that allowed Cromer to score from third, putting WashU ahead 1-0.
It was not long before the Bears added to their lead. In the bottom of the second, sophomore
Miles Birke took the first pitch he saw down the left field line for a double. He was followed by a single from graduate student
Josh Erpenbeck to the pitcher on a bunt. Then with two outs, Soong hit a hard-hit ball up the middle that scored both Birke and Erpenbeck as the Bears led 3-0 after two complete innings.
Defense became the name of the game in the third through eighth innings.
However, the Eagles would finally get on the board in the top of the ninth. A leadoff single would reach third two batters later with runners on the corners. A bloop single in front of the plate saw the lead runner score from third, cutting the lead down to 3-1. With two runners on, Emory would see a home run over the fence down the right field line, scoring three runs, with the Eagles taking their first lead, 4-3.
Birke led the Bears on the afternoon, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
Junior
Parker Guthrie took the loss, pitching the final two innings with three strikeouts.
WashU and Emory will continue their UAA series on Saturday, April 11. The teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. at Kelly Field at Irv Utz Stadium.
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Elevating scholar-champions requires resources beyond the institutional budget. Through the W Club, generous alumni, parents, and friends provide unrestricted support that is essential to the extraordinary WashU student-athlete experience—and the ongoing growth and development of the department. Annual support for Athletics allows the Bears to consistently rise to national levels of competition and ensures that our student-athletes enjoy exceptional opportunities as they train, compete, and lead. To make a gift to the Annual Fund for Athletics, please visit our secure online giving form or contact the Athletics Advancement Office at athletics@wustl.edu.
